The effect of dining location on dietary intake was evaluated for the institutionalized elderly. Eating with a group provided a significantly greater percentage of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin E while dining in rooms provided diets which were significantly more nutrient dense for vitamin D, riboflavin, calcium, and phosphorus. Regardless of where residents ate, at least nine of the 16 nutrients studied were present in amounts less than predicted. From a dietary standpoint, perhaps greater attention to what nursing home residents eat is more important than where food is eaten.